Convertible bunk bed and lounge chair assembly

ABSTRACT

In a convertible bed and lounge chair having a generally horizontal bed portion with an adjustable head-rest connected thereto, an improved headrest support assembly which comprises a U-shaped member adapted to be slidably received between the rearward pair of legs of the bed portion, the cross-piece of the member abutting each of the rearward legs to hold them in a spaced-apart relation, each arm of the U-shaped member extending upwardly to support the backrest and to selectively pivot it to desired angles relative to bed portion as the U-shaped member is vertically adjusted.

United States Patent 1 Hill June 12, 1973 CONVERTIBLE BUNK BED AND LOUNGE CHAIR ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Max Lee Hill, Somerset, Pa.

[73] Assignee: The Coleman Company Inc.,

Wichita, Kans.

[22] Filed: Aug. 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 279,965

[52] U.S. Cl 297/377, 5/112, 297/354 [51] Int. Cl A47c 4/02, A470 l/024 [58] Field of Search 297/377, 130, 353-356;.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1898 Dixon 297/377 10/1965 Neilsen 297/377 X 3,239,271 3/1966 Bergensen 297/130 Primary ExominerCasmir A. Nunberg AttorneyDawson, Tilton, Fallon & Lungmus [57] ABSTRACT In a convertible bed and lounge chair having a generally horizontal bed portion with an adjustable head-rest connected thereto, an improved headrest support assembly which comprises a U-shaped member adapted to be slidably received between the rearward pair of legs of the bed portion, the cross-piece of the member abutting each of the rearward legs to hold them in a spaced-apart relation, each arm of the U-shaped member extending upwardly to support the backrest and to selectively pivot it to desired angles relative to bed portion as the U-shaped member is vertically adjusted.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures "PNENIEB JUN 1 am:

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY The present invention relates to a convertible bunk bed and lounge chair; more particularly, it is concerned with such a bed that is completely demountable for ease of handling and storage and having an improved headrest support assembly. In general this improved headrest support assembly comprises a U-shaped member constructed and arranged to be slidably received between a pair of rearward legs of a conventional bunk bed and lounge chair. The cross-piece of this member abuts each of the rearward legs to hold them in a secure, spaced-apart relation while each arm of the member extends upwardly to support the backrest and to selectively pivot same to desired angles relative to the bed portion. This is accomplished when the U-shaped member is vertically adjusted to desired heights.

The convertible bunk bed and lounge chairs of the prior art are exemplified by the US. Pat. Nos. of Wright, 446,243 and Dixon 603,896. These as well as other such chairs normally employ a U-shaped support member which is pivotally connected to the backrest,

' the cross-piece of this member being selectively engageable in notches or recesses on the rear legs below the headrests. While this type of mechanism provided a convertible bunk bed and lounge chair, the construction of the headrest support assembly in particular was deficient in several important respects. First. of all, due to the structural arrangement of this support assembly it was impossible to provide a stable chair that was easily demountable. This resulted from the fact that added cross-bracing was required to hold the legs in a fixed, spaced-apart relation, particularly the rear legs which were notched or recessed as previously described. As can be appreciated, the use of such cross or bracing members normally detracted from the ease of assembly and disassembly of the lounge chair. When it was attempted to utilize these conventional headrest support mechanisms without additional cross-bracing, it was often found that the resultant chair was wobbly and insecure in use.

Additionally, because the U-shaped member was pivotally connected to the back rest portion of the chair and not in any way fixedly secured to the rear legs, it was often found during storage, carrying and adjustment that the member swung completely out of position to be of use. This was a particularly annoying problem that was impossible to solve using the constructions of the prior art.

The present invention avoids these and other difficulties by providing a headrest support assembly which is adjustably secured betweenthe rearward pair of legs of a convertible bunk bed and lounge chair. In this way the problem associated with a free-swinging pivotally connected U-shaped member are avoided. Further, such a construction simultaneously provides needed bracing between the rearward legs which support the headrest itself. As explained previously, this removes the need for additional bracing and provides a rugged, secure and easily adjustable bed.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the convertible bunk bed and lounge chair of the present invention, assembled and with the headrest in an upright position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view as in FIG. 1 with the headrest lowered to form a bed;

FIG. 3 is a top elevational view taken along sight line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing a mechanism for selectively engaging the arms of the U-shaped support member of the headrest support assembly;

FIG. 4 is a top elevational view taken along sight line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the slip joint employed to demountably hold a cross-brace between the forward pair of legs of the bed portion of the convertible bed and lounge chair of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a convertible bunk bed and lounge chair generally designated by the numeral 10 having a generally horizontal bed portion 11 with an adjustable headrest 12 connected thereto. Such a bed includes a pair of aligned bed frame elements 13, each having a relatively elongated support segment 14 with a forward leg 15 and a rearward leg 16 fixedly attached in a generally normal relation. As can be seen, when the two elements 13 are aligned, two pairs of aligned legs, a forward pair 15a and a rearward pair 16a, are formed. The bed also includes a cross-brace 17 which is demountably attached at the forward end of the bed frame elements 13 to securely hold them in a fixed, spaced-apart relation.

At the rearward end of the bed portion the backrest 12 is pivotally connected by removable means such as the bolt and wing nut assembly 18 to the elongated support segments 14 of the bed frame elements 13. More specifically, this connection is placed at a point where the headrest 12 lies above the rearward pair of legs 16a. Connected to the backrest 12, the support members 14 and the cross-brace 17 is a continuous bedding surface 19. This surface is normally of canvas or other flexible, strong material, and is removably connected to the frame members as by the snaps 20.

Turning now to the improved support assembly of the present invention, it comprises a U-shaped member generally designated 21 made up of a cross-piece 22 and a pair of upwardly extending arms 23. As shown, the U-shaped member 21 is constructed and arranged to bev slidably received between the rearward pair of legs 16a such that the cross-piece 22 abuts each of the rearward legs 16 to brace and hold them in a spacedapart relation. Each arm 23 of the U-shaped member extends upwardly to'support the back rest 12 along its frame as at 24. Because the member 21 is inserted between the rearward pair of legs 16a as described, it is not necessary that the arms 23 be connected to the backrest 12.

As the U-shaped member 21 is vertically adjusted the backrest 12 is selectively pivoted to desired angles relative to the bed portion, thereby producing a flat bed'as in FIG. 2 or a lounge chair as in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the preferred means for selectively securing the U-shaped member 21 between the rearward pair of legs 16a will be discussed. Such a means is a bracket generally referred to by the numeral 25 and includes two sleeve portions 26 and 27 which are permanently connected in a side-by-side relation as by welds 28. The outer sleeve 27, which is adapted to slidably receive an upwardly extending arm 23 of the U-shaped member 21, is apertured as at 27a.

Connected to the sleeve 27 is a channel member 29 which is apertured at 294; the apertures 27a and 29a are arranged to cooperatively hold the pin or dowel 30 which is inserted through the channel 29 and partially into the sleeve 27. In preferred forms the pin 30 is spring-loaded and permanently held by the apertures 27a and 290. As shown, the spring 31 is about the pin 30 in the space defined by the interior of the channel member 29 and the outer face of the sleeve 27. By means of the shoulder 32 and the ridge 33 on the pin it is permanently held therein, capable of being moved only to the extent of pulling the engagement portion 34 out of contact with the interior of the sleeve 27.

In practice, the means 25 is affixed to each rearward leg 16 of the bed frame elements 13, the leg 16 being permanently encased within the sleeve member 26. When the frame elements 13 are aligned, the U-shaped support member 21 is inserted into the inwardly facing channel members 27 and adjusted to a desired position. As explained, this member 27 is apertured along its face to allow the entry portion 34 of the securing pin or dowel 30 to be inserted into the sleeve. Each of the upwardly extending arms of the U-shaped member 21 are further provided with a series of corresponding parallel bores 35 (shown in FIG. 1) such that as the member is vertically adjusted within the sleeves 27 the bores 35 in each arm simultaneously align with the corresponding apertures 27a and 29a which hold the pin 30. When this occurs the pins 30 can be inserted through sleeve 27 into the bores 35 of the upwardly extending arms 23. In this way a demountable, level and secure support with a headrest is provided which is adjustable to varying positions exemplified by FIGS. 1 and 2.

As can be seen from the foregoing discussion, the convertible bunk bed and lounge chair of the present invention is demountable into six components: that is, the two bed frame elements 13, the forward crossbrace 17, the headrest 12, the U-shaped support member 21 and the bedding surface 19. These elements are fully demountable to provide for ease of storage and handling.

In assembly procedures, the bed frame elements 13 are aligned and the cross-piece 17 is attached at their forward end. This is preferably accomplished by means of the slip joint 36 shown in FIG. 4. It comprises a pair of sleeves 37 and 38 permanently attached in a side-byside manner. The sleeves 37 permanently hold the forward legs 15 and the attached sleeves 38 extend inwardly therefrom. When it is desired to attach the cross-piece 17, two depending portions (not shown) which are permanently affixed to the cross-piece 17 are inserted within the sleeves 38 to provide the necessary forward bracing.

Thereafter the U-shaped member 21 is inserted between the rear legs 16a and a secure, stable bed portion results. The backrest 12 is next attached by means of bolt and nut assembly 18, and the bedding surface 19 is snapped into place. In this way a stable and rugged convertible bunk bed and lounge chair is provided that is easy to disassemble as desired.

While particular embodiments of the instant invention have been shown in considerable detail, it is apparent that many substitutions and equivalents can be made without departing from the invention disclosed; and it is, therefore, meant that all such substitutions and equivalents be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a convertible bunk bed and lounge chair having a generally horizontal bed portion with an adjustable headrest connected thereto, including a pair of aligned bed frame elements, each having a relatively elongated support segment with a leg attached at each end thereof, thereby forming two pairs of aligned legs, a forward pair and a rearward pair, a cross-brace demountably attached at the forward end of said bed frame elements to hold them in a spaced-apart relation, a backrest pivotally connected to said elongated support segments at a point where said headrest lies above said rearward pair of legs, and a continuous bedding surface attached to said bed frame elements and said headrest, an improved headrest support assembly which comprises a U-shaped member constructed and arranged to be slidably received between said rearward pair of legs, the cross-piece of said member abutting each of said rearward legs to hold them in a spacedapart relation, each arm of said U-shaped member extending upwardly to support said backrest and to selectively pivot said backrest to desired angles relative to said bed portion as said U-shaped member is vertically adjusted, and means for selectively securing said member between said rearward pair of legs.

2. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein said means for selectively securing said U-shaped member within said rearward pair of legs comprises a bracket attached to each of said rear legs, said brackets having a two sleeve portions connected in a side-by-side relation, one of said sleeves encasing said rear legs with the second said sleeves slidably receiving said upwardly extending arms of said U-shaped member, each of said second sleeves being apertured on its outer face and having an apertured channel member connected thereto covering said outer face and defining a space between the interior of said channel and said outer face, the apertures in said outer face and channel member being aligned and adapted to hold a pin means inserted through the corresponding apertures, the upwardly extending arms of said U-shaped member having a series of corresponding bores therein such that as said arms are vertically adjusted within said second sleeves said bores will simultaneously align with the apertures in said second sleeves, and said pin can be inserted through said aperture and be received in said bore to thereby selectively secure said U-shaped member at a desired height to support said backrest at a desired angle relative to said bed portion.

3. The support assembly of claim 2 wherein said pin is spring loaded and permanently held by the aligned apertures in said second sleeve and said channel members. 

1. In a convertible bunk bed and lounge chair having a generally horizontal bed portion with an adjustable headrest connected thereto, including a pair of aligned bed frame elements, each having a relatively elongated support segment with a leg attached at each end thereof, thereby forming two pairs of aligned legs, a forward pair and a rearward pair, a cross-brace demountably attached at the forward end of said bed frame elements to hold them in a spaced-apart relation, a backrest pivotally connected to said elongated support segments at a point where said headrest lies above said rearward pair of legs, and a continuous bedding surface attached to said bed frame elements and said headrest, an improved headrest support assembly which comprises a U-shaped member construcTed and arranged to be slidably received between said rearward pair of legs, the cross-piece of said member abutting each of said rearward legs to hold them in a spacedapart relation, each arm of said U-shaped member extending upwardly to support said backrest and to selectively pivot said backrest to desired angles relative to said bed portion as said U-shaped member is vertically adjusted, and means for selectively securing said member between said rearward pair of legs.
 2. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein said means for selectively securing said U-shaped member within said rearward pair of legs comprises a bracket attached to each of said rear legs, said brackets having a two sleeve portions connected in a side-by-side relation, one of said sleeves encasing said rear legs with the second said sleeves slidably receiving said upwardly extending arms of said U-shaped member, each of said second sleeves being apertured on its outer face and having an apertured channel member connected thereto covering said outer face and defining a space between the interior of said channel and said outer face, the apertures in said outer face and channel member being aligned and adapted to hold a pin means inserted through the corresponding apertures, the upwardly extending arms of said U-shaped member having a series of corresponding bores therein such that as said arms are vertically adjusted within said second sleeves said bores will simultaneously align with the apertures in said second sleeves, and said pin can be inserted through said aperture and be received in said bore to thereby selectively secure said U-shaped member at a desired height to support said backrest at a desired angle relative to said bed portion.
 3. The support assembly of claim 2 wherein said pin is spring loaded and permanently held by the aligned apertures in said second sleeve and said channel members. 